Prunus domesticaxe2x80x98Kenmore Plumxe2x80x99.
A new and distinct variety of European-type plum tree originated as a seedling of Prunus domestica in the breeding program of Cornell University and is hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x98Kenmore Plumxe2x80x99. This new variety is unique because the fruit has several traits that make it favorable for processing uses (high quality, free stone, non-shattering stone, high color retention of processed fruit products) and the tree is more vigorous and more pest tolerant than other current commercial varieties of European plums with which it has been compared.
This new and distinct variety of European plum was discovered in 1971 by John P. Watson (deceased), a plant breeder at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, N.Y., a research unit of Cornell University, hereinafter referred to as Geneva Experiment Station. By breeding methodology convention at the Geneva Experiment Station it was designated as NY 58.900.9 because it belonged to the Geneva Experiment Station Breeding Record Number 58.900, a hybrid population of trees that resulted from hybridizing the varieties xe2x80x98Standardxe2x80x99 (non-patented)xc3x97xe2x80x98Stanleyxe2x80x99(non-patented), and this seedling was the ninth seedling chosen for further evaluation from in a population of 295 siblings possessing the same parentage. The orchard location where the seedling was grown and first noticed was designated as Crittenden Farm Field Number 30, Row 9, Tree 263. This seedling was first noticed because it had fruit that was similar to its parent, xe2x80x98Stanleyxe2x80x99(non-patented), in many traits, but was superior to xe2x80x98Stanleyxe2x80x99(non-patented) in freeness of the stone. In 1971, buds were taken from the original tree and trees for further testing were asexually reproduced by T-budding and chip budding techniques. This new cultivar has been reproduced on plum, Prunus domestica, and peach seedling, Prunus persica, rootstocks by Hilltop Nursery LLC, Hartford, Mich. and remains true to the description herein contained.